Open AccessIron‐line and continuum flux variations in the RXTE spectra of the black hole candidate XTE J1650−500
Author(s) -
Rossi Sabrina,
Homan Jeroen,
Miller Jon M.,
Belloni Tomaso
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09069.x
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , spectral line , black hole (networking) , flux (metallurgy) , line (geometry) , ionization , emission spectrum , k line , light curve , astronomy , stars , ion , computer network , routing protocol , routing (electronic design automation) , materials science , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , computer science , metallurgy , link state routing protocol
We present the results of spectral fits made to 57 pointed observations of the Galactic black hole candidate and X‐ray transient XTE J1650−500, made with the Rossi X‐ray Timing Explorer ( RXTE ) in 2001 when the source was in a transition from the hard state to the soft state. A strong and variable Fe Kα emission line is detected in these spectra. The line flux varies in a non‐linear way with the hard X‐ray flux, in apparent contradiction to the predictions of simple disc reflection models. We observe a change in the overall trend that coincides with changes in the continuum X‐ray spectrum and the fast X‐ray variability. The Fe‐line flux versus hard X‐ray flux variations are consistent with the predictions of reflection models that consider high disc‐ionization states and with a model that considers gravitational light‐bending effects. Indications for an anticorrelation between the Fe‐line flux and the hard X‐ray flux in the spectrally hardest observations and weak variations in the Fe‐line energy (as observed with XMM–Newton and BeppoSAX ) slightly favour the light‐bending interpretation.